Monday, December 11, 2006
Location: Pincher Creek, Alberta

I’ve been having some really interesting conversations over the past few days about the true nature of time and space. From what I’ve come to understand, among the Blackfoot, time is an illusion. In fact, everything we’ve come to recognize as reality is an illusion, or rather a creation that, through consensus we all support and prop up. But, from the very beginning my question has been, what are we choosing to support, what are we choosing to believe in, and why?

When I look around at the world it seems we’ve all come to agree that it’s ok for us to pollute our air, water and soil. It’s ok for us to buy into corporate agendas that disrespect not only the natural world, but also we the consumers, the very people that enable it to survive. Being somewhat outside or a drifter moving through this world, many aspect of our ‘reality’ just boggle my mind. Bottled water for example, we’ve come to accept that buying water is the norm. In my reality, clean, unprocessed water would be a fundamental right. This would be the starting point for all government and industrial policy. If you can't keep the water clean, you can't do it, period. When I was in the north, I could drink out of almost any river or stream, not the case as I move south… we should be ashamed we ever let it get this far.

Sadly, bottled water is just one small part of the overall picture of the 'reality' we’ve all chosen to support. All this makes me a little angry, on one side I feel it’s all part of a natural process of self-destruction and we need to pass through it in order to truly know, but on the other hand, I think why is it, that stupidity always seems to reign supreme.

I’ve been hearing some Blackfoot stories regarding how we, my generation, are the children of the darkness, the children of the un-natural fire. Although our reality is still there we can't see it, surrounded by darkness, unable to see beyond the blazing fire we've created. The fire being, everything we've created through technology. It seems to me that these stories ring true. I see more darkness and ignorance than natural light and wisdom these days, and although there is always hope (we can never lose hope), I wonder if we’ll end like the Easter Islanders, with a few powerful people, shrouded in darkness, making crucial decisions for all of us.

I think in my film, I’m heading towards this idea that our collapse is somewhat inevitable, but part of a natural cycle. I’m waiting for someone to show me real evidence to the contrary. I’m not sad about the idea of collapse, since there is always an upside to a downward spiral, and in the end, it is often death that provides the necessary ingredients for life. So I would say, let’s all do our part to try to turn this ship towards sustainability, since we are co-creators, but in the end if we crash and burn, don’t panic, everything will be ok ;-)

Yesterday I participated in my first Sweat Lodge held according to the Blackfoot tradition. I had taken part in some sauna sweats with my Slavey friends up around Fort Simpson, and had almost been to a Sweat in Fort Wrigley during a Dene spiritual gathering, but it seems that my time was to be now, here on the Blackfoot Piikani Reserve.

I don’t feel like sharing much about the Sweat, since I feel it was meant for me and my brother(s), and somehow it is a road we should experience to begin to understand. But, I will say one thing, if you ever have the chance to participate in a Sweat Lodge, have no fear and enjoy the process, it's a beautiful thing.

Thank you to Morris and his family for welcoming me in, and to Ken for showing me the door, in the first place.

peace
d